Let me start by saying that I am not an extrovert, and yet I’ve built my career on networking. It’s opened doors for me, given me critical advice, and when I became an entrepreneur, developed millions of dollars in business for my company. There’s a common assumption that to be a good networker you need…
Building successful, well-tended relationships is a crucial component for manifesting abundance, whether in the form of fortunes, friendships, family connectedness, or other personal or professional treasures. Getting along skillfully with people colors your world with a vibrant network of connections, enriching your relationships with a never-ending collection of infinite rewards. Cultivating enduring connections requires an…
Everyone knows someone with a narcissistic personality. Often, it is someone of power that shows the extreme symptoms of narcissism. Even a few leaders in the ancient world came to believe they were gods. I hope those times are done. A narcissist, by definition, is a personality trait of egotism, vanity, or simple selfishness. They…
Yield – (verb), to give forth or produce by a natural process or in return for cultivation. – Random House Dictionary In the summer of 1986, two ships collided in the Black Sea off the coast of Russia. Hundreds of passengers died as they were hurled into the icy waters below. News of the disaster…
The root of the English word leadership is leith. It means to go forth, to cross the threshold, or, simply, to die. Not the most appealing of adverts to attract leaders but one that maybe should be incorporated into any serious discussion on what it takes to lead in the new world of work. I’m…
I was teaching a session to front line leaders this past week on how to coach, confront and correct employees when there is a gap between expected behavior and performance and the actual behavior and performance. Understandably, confronting and correcting conversations are not easy on the leader or the employee which can result in procrastination,…
Gary Ridge, CEO of the highly successful company, WD-40 (the lubrication folks) believes that everyone in his firm should get an ‘A’ in goal achievement. Their performance management process reflects this emphasis…
In a previous post we examined a manager who was too easy on his team. In many cases an assignment will come in to work with a manager who has the opposite challenge – he or she is too tough on employees. Often these hard-nosed managers tend to work long hours, do the work his…
Busy, busy, busy. Rush, rush, rush. Meet with team–call shipping–update spread sheet–check emails–meet with boss–finalize report–make two more calls–work on client presentation–attend strategy update meeting–write up the minutes–analyze production data–read market trend report–and on and on and on. If you are right now saying to yourself this “this is my life,” you’re not alone. But…
Recently a brilliant friend and colleague described to me how she felt attending a professional meeting where she didn’t know anyone sitting around her as being, “awkward and painful,” when she found herself at a loss for how to break the ice with someone she doesn’t know. Here was someone who has so much to…
Ever wondered what it felt like to be a lab rat? Constantly being observed and tested. Literally put under the microscope; each action scrutinized. Well, if you’re a leader – you might understand that feeling. As leaders, we must realize that, like it or not, we are being watched. Closely. The nuances of our behavior…
O, beware my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on. – Shakespeare A story is told of two shopkeepers who were bitter rivals. Their stores were directly across the street from each other, and they would spend each day keeping track of each other’s business. If…
The Plant Manager was becoming increasingly frustrated. His production manager was struggling to meet plant performance targets and was not getting his team to take ownership of achieving results. The initial diagnosis was that the production manager was being too easy on his team. As with most management problems, only two or three behaviours cause…
I saw a LinkedIn group discussion in which the question was posed: Is Empathy Part of Leadership? I was surprised that the question was posed. I was more surprised by the responses. Folks in Management positions posed rhetoric masked in “never let them see you sweat” bravado. In his book, “Who’s Got Your Back”, Keith Ferrazzi proposes vulnerability as…
Richard Florida is a provocative thinker around social and economic issues. He first became noticed from his book, The Rise of the Creative Class. In his latest book, The Great Reset, he shares data that the future growth of jobs will be in two areas: (1) knowledge, professional and creative jobs and (2) lower paying,…
Can Twitter Damage Your Professional Brand? Oh, let me count the ways. First, let me say I’m not writing this as a social media “expert,” nor would I ever purport to be. I’m posting this blog as your average professional who uses social media tools as a way to enhance her business. I know there…
What makes a great Leader? We often think of the traits of strong personality, public speaking prominence, and convicted commitment. Vocal, Prominent, Confident, and Ever Present. Can it be said, however, that those who are truly admirable do not need to be in the public eye?
High achievers are prone to enter a time in their career where they plateau or stall. Perhaps promotions are not coming as fast and furious as they once did or in some cases, they have achieved every goal they have set and have run out of challenges. Achievers will ask themselves, “Is this all there…
In PwC Saratoga’s latest Global CEO Survey, 65% of CEO’s report that they intend to use more non-financial rewards to motivate their staff. This is an admission that the a motivation strategy full of mostly financial reward “carrots” is not enough, especially for their highly skilled and high potential employees.
“Good communicators are open to my ideas. They respect me. They know who they are and what makes them ‘tick’ and they want to know the same about me. They foster my growth while attending to their own. They are proud of their accomplishments and of mine-for our mutual benefit.” A Get Along seminar participant…